Are You Qualified?
1. CONTRAST: HUMANLY SPEAKING THERE WAS A GREAT CONTRAST BETWEEN DAVID AND GOLIATH.
" A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels (15 lbs.). His shield bearer went ahead of him. " I Samuel 17: 4-7
" Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" I Samuel 17: 41-44
GOLIATH WAS A GIANT WITH GREAT PHYSICAL STRENGTH. HE WAS A TRAINED WARRIOR WITH POWERFUL ARMOUR. IN CONTRAST DAVID WAS ONLY A YOUTH AND A SHEPHERD BOY WHO HAD NEVER BEEN IN BATTLE BEFORE. IT APPEARED A TOTAL MISMATCH IN WHICH DAVID HAD NO CHANCE OF DEFEATING GOLIATH. NO ONE BELIEVED THAT DAVID WOULD DEFEAT GOLIATH.
Even in our lives we may face challenges which appear so overwhelming and we may feel that we are no match against such great odds. But the victory of David over Goliath should inspire us and give us great confidence in the battles that we face. Remember, the greater the battle , the more glorious will be the victory.
2. COURAGE: DAVID HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FEAR OF GOLIATH WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WERE TOTALLY TERRIFIED OF HIM.
" Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. " I Samuel 17: 8-11
" As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. " I Samuel 17:23-24
DAVID’S COURAGE WAS AMAZING WHEN HE FACED GOLIATH. THE ENTIRE ISRAELI ARMY INCLUDING KING SAUL WERE TERRIFIED OF GOLIATH. EVEN WHEN HE WAS SURROUNDED BY FEARFUL PEOPLE, DAVID STOOD OUT WITH HIS TOTAL FEARLESSNESS. NOTHING INCLUDING GOLIATH’S APPEARANCE, STRENGTH, ARMOUR , EXPERIENCE OR THREATS COULD MAKE HIM AFRAID .
Even in our lives we should be bold and fearless when we face our Goliaths. None of those who were afraid of Goliath were able to defeat him. The only one who was able to defeat Goliath was the one who had no fear of him. Therefore, we should be absolutely fearless when we face our challenges in order to get the victory.
3. CONFIDENCE: DAVID HAD TOTAL CONFIDENCE THAT HE WOULD DEFEAT GOLIATH.
" Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel." David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." I Samuel 17: 25-27
THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN DAVID’S MIND ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE. IN FACT, THE FIRST WORDS THAT DAVID SPOKE AFTER SEEING AND HEARING GOLIATH WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT REWARD HE WOULD GET IF HE KILLED GOLIATH. DAVID SAW GOLIATH AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET REWARDS IN HIS LIFE. HE DID NOT THINK OF GOLIATH AS A DANGER THREATENING TO DESTROY HIS LIFE BUT AS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE GREAT BLESSINGS IN HIS LIFE.
Even in our lives we should be strong in faith expecting the victory in our battles. We should not allow doubt and unbelief to rob us of our victory and destiny. We should consider our challenges as blessings in disguise. We should look forward to the blessings that we would receive as a result of overcoming these challenges instead of losing hope and getting discouraged when we face trials in our life.
4. COMMENTS: DAVID DID NOT ALLOW THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS OF HIS BROTHER OR EVEN KING SAUL TO DISCOURAGE HIM.
" When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." I Samuel 17 :28
" Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." I Samuel 17: 33
DAVID DID NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO ROB HIM OF HIS FAITH AND DESTINY THROUGH THEIR NEGATIVE COMMENTS. HIS ELDER BROTHER WAS ANGRY AND WISHED THAT DAVID HAD REMAINED WITH THE SHEEP. HE ACCUSED DAVID OF PRIDE AND WICKEDNESS. EVEN KING SAUL DISCOURAGED HIM BY SAYING THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DEFEAT GOLIATH. BUT DAVID DID NOT ALLOW THESE NEGATIVE VOICES TO DISCOURAGE HIM. HE WAS NOT OVERAWED BY THE KING AND CONCLUDE THAT SURELY HE WOULD FAIL BECAUSE THE KING HIMSELF WAS CONVINCED THAT DAVID WOULD FAIL. DAVID DID NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO ROB HIM OF HIS DESTINY THROUGH THEIR UNBELIEF, DOUBT , JEALOUSY AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS.
Even in our own lives we should not allow other people to rob our blessings through their unbelief, jealousy and negative words. We should ignore the negative voices and press on to fulfill our destiny. We cannot expect everyone to rejoice in our progress and prosperity nor can we expect everyone to believe in our vision and potential. Just as David faced Goliath without any encouragement from people, we should be willing to face our challenges alone with our faith in God and get the victory.
5. CONFESSION: EVERY WORD THAT DAVID SPOKE WHEN FACING GOLIATH WAS A POSITIVE CONFESSION OF CERTAIN VICTORY.
"But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." I Samuel 17 : 34-37
DAVID CONFESSED GOD’S FAITHFULNESS BOTH IN THE PAST AND ALSO IN THE PRESENT SITUATION.HE REMEMBERED THE PAST BATTLES HE FACED IN WHICH GOD HAD DELIVERED HIM AND IT INSPIRED HIS FAITH TO BELEIVE GOD TO GIVE HIM VICTORY IN THIS CURRENT BATTLE WITH GOLIATH. DAVID DID NOT SPEAK A SINGLE WORD OF DOUBT OR UNBELIEF WHEN HE FACED GOLIATH. ALL HIS WORDS WERE POSITIVE AND FILLED WITH FAITH AND CONFIDENCE.
Even in our lives we should constantly speak positive words of victory in the challenges that we face. We should totally avoid speaking negative words of doubt, fear, unbelief and defeat when we face our battles. We should remember all the victories that the Lord has given us in the past and be strong in our faith that the Lord will do the same even in our current battle.
6. CONTEST : DAVID HAD THE REVELATION THAT THIS WAS A CONTEST BETWEEN GOD AND GOLIATH AND NOT JUST BETWEEN HIM AND GOLIATH.
" David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands." I Samuel 17 : 45-47
" Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. " I Samuel 17: 38-40
DAVID DID NOT THINK THAT THIS WAS SIMPLY A HUMAN BATTLE BETWEEN HIM AND GOLIATH. HE KNEW THAT GOD WAS INVOLVED IN THIS BATTLE ON HIS SIDE AND WOULD DELIVER GOLIATH OVER TO HIM. GOLIATH CAME WITH WORLDLY WEAPONS BUT DAVID HAD A SPIRITUAL WEAPON WHICH WAS THE NAME OF THE LORD. HE REFUSED TO WEAR SAUL’S ARMOUR BUT INSTEAD USED THE SLING AND THE STONE. HIS FAITH WAS IN GOD TO GIVE HIM THE VICTORY. GOLIATH WAS TOTALLY BLIND TO THIS SPIRITUAL BATTLE. HE COULD ONLY SEE A YOUTH COMING AGAINST HIM. HE DID NOT REALISE THAT HE WAS COMING AGAINST THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND THE INVISIBLE SPIRITUAL WEAPONS THAT DAVID WAS USING.
Even in our lives we should have the revelation that we are not facing our battles alone. The Lord is on our side and He fights our battles. We have the invisible spiritual weapons in the name of the Lord which the enemy does not realize. We need not fear the worldly weapons of the enemy because we have spiritual weapons which are vastly superior which will bring victory to us.
7. CHAMPION : DAVID CAME OUT A CHAMPION AFTER DEFEATING GOLIATH . HE PROVED HIS FAITH BY ACTION.
" As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. " I Samuel 17: 48-53
DAVID RAN TOWARDS GOLIATH TO MEET THE CHALLENGE AND KILLED HIM WITH ONE STONE. HE DID NOT TREMBLE WITH FEAR WHEN GOLIATH STARTED COMING TOWARDS HIM. HIS FAITH WAS NOT JUST EMPTY WORDS. HE PROVED HIS FAITH BY HIS ACTION BY FIGHTING GOLIATH AND DEFEATING HIM. WHEN GOLIATH FELL, ALL THE PHILISTINES FLED IN TERROR. AND THE ISRAELI ARMY WHICH HAD BEEN PARALYSED WITH FEAR TILL THEN SUDDENLY BECAME COURAGEOUS AND PURSUED THE PHILISTINES. DAVID’S VICTORY INSPIRED THE ENTIRE ISRAELI ARMY.
Even in our lives we should prove our faith by action. We should not run away in fear from the challenges but boldly go forward to face the enemy and triumph over the him. When Goliath fell, the entire Philistine army lost courage and fled in terror. Even in our lives, often when we break a major stronghold, many other battles are also won through that. When the major stronghold is broken, all the other challenges which were connected to it, also falls away. Not only that, just as David ’s victory mobilized the Israeli army, our victory can be a great inspiration to others who have been bound by fear. We can be a source of inspiration and a bondage breaker in the lives of others when we set the example by defeating the enemy and as a result many others would rise up in faith and accomplish great things for God.
Just like David, at one point or another, you have probably been told that you aren’t qualified. Though you may have strived to be heroic like David, you've probably faced some situation where you wondered if you really measured up.
Maybe there's a flaw in your character you try your hardest to hide. It could be lust. It could be anger. It could be addiction. Even if it's in the past, you may live in secret fear that one day it will come back with a vengeance.
Maybe it's in your role as a parent. On the outside you seem to have everything under control. But at home, it's another story. You have no idea what you're doing, and the older your child gets, the more you feel dangerously unprepared.
Or maybe you feel called to be a leader, a decision maker, a risk-taker. But your track record is far from spotless. And the thought of putting yourself out there is petrifying.
Many people live their entire lives fighting these contradictions. They deal constantly with voices in their heads telling them that they don't qualify, that they will never qualify, that they are totally, epically disqualified.
But God has a habit of picking people who have been passed over. And if you look at the great men and women of Scripture, you find one common denominator: They were all unqualified.
Look again at today's scripture. Even Saul, the king, felt David was unqualified to kill Goliath. But God called David and equipped him to fulfill his calling.
So if you're feeling unqualified today, remember, God chose you. He qualified you. And you can choose to let Him be your source of sufficiency.
Disclaimer: I do not take credit for this sermon. It is included as part of the series, but was adapted from another sermon on sermon central as well as from the Unqualified devotional found on You Version.
